Vehicle-brake.



R. H. MAXFIELD.

VBHIUL BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED Fumo, 19134 1,081,850, Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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R. H. MAXFIELD.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.19.1913.

1,081,850. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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@Monuta ROWLAND H. MAXFIELD, OF KINGS VALLEY, OREGON.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16,1913.

Application filed February 19, 1913. Serial No. 749,471.

T o all 'whom z' may concern Be it known that I, RowLAND H. Max FIELD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Kings Valley, in the county ofBenton and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements inVehicle-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle brakes, and it has particularreference to that class of brakes which are known as automatic orself-acting.

One object of the invention is to produce an automatic brake of simpleand eflieient construction which may be readily applied to and used inconnection with the running gear of an ordinary wagon.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and efficientconstruction in inactive position so as to enable the vehicle to bebacked by the means ordinarily provided for the purpose.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the generalconstruetion of the device including the actuating means and the supportand housing for the same.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the saine consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and moditieations within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a top plan view of a running gear equippedwith the improved brake. Fig. 9. is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, takenon the line 3 3 in Fig. l. Fig. t is a horizontal sectional view takenon the line it-4t in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 lis a transverse sectional viewtaken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail View oft-he supporting frame detached.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

For purposes of illustration a conventional running gear has been shownineluding front and rear axles l0, 11, a hound frame 1Q with which thetongue 13 is connected by a transverse pivotal rod 14:, a reach bar 15supporting a cross bar 16 and rear hounds 17. The tongue is providedwith a longitudinal slot 1.8 about which is mounted a frame comprising alongitudinal` guide member 19 having legs or supports 2O which arefastened on the tongue by means of bolts 2l, the longitiulinal guidemember 19 being provided with a slot 22 registering with the slot 1S inthe tongue. The evener Q3 which is slidably supported on thetongue isprovided with an eye 2st for the passage of the hammer bolt 25, whichlatter extends through and is guided in the slots 22, 18. A powerfulhelical spring 26 is supported on the tongue in rear of the evener7 saidspring being provided with terminal eyes `at its front and rear ends,the front eye 27 being engaged by the hammer bolt 25, while the rear eye28 is securely connected with the tongue by means of a bolt 29. It willbe seen that the longitudinal sliding movement of the evener is limitedby the slots E22, 1S, and that said evener is normally supported at therearward limit of its movement by the contractile action of the spring26. Pivoted in a slot 30 in the tongue in rear of the spring 2G is alever A, the upwardly extending arm of which, 311., is connected withthe hammer bolt Q5 by means of a connecting rod 32 which is made ofmaterial sufliciently strong and rigid to prevent said rod from bendingunder the stress to which it will be subjected when the device is inoperation. The relatively short downwardly extending arm 3?) of thelever A, is connected by a rod 34twith a relatively long arm o1' crank$35 extending downwardly from a rock shaft 36 which is fulcrumed in asuitable bearing on the cross bar 1.6. The reach bar l5 has a downwardlyextending loop 35 through which the rod 3-'1- is guided and whichprotects the said rod from interference with the hound fran'le when thevehicle is turned. lt will also be seen that the oonnecting rod 3ft isof such length as to permit the running gear to be lengthened orshortcned, as may be required. The rock shaft 236 has a secondrelatively short downwardly extending arm 37 which is connected by alink rod 3S with a crank arm Bt) extending upwardly from a rock shaft1l() supported on the rear anxle7 and said rock shaft is provided withrelatively short downwardly extending crank arms 4l that are connectedby rods 42 with the brake bar 43 which is suspended from the cross bar16 by means of links 44, said brake bar being equipped with brake shoes45 adapted to engage the hind wheels 46 of the vehicle.

A housing 47 is provided within which the spring 26 is accommodated.VHingedly mounted on the longitudinally slotted guide member 19 of theframe is a latch member 48, which when the evener is moved forwardly soas to place the spring 26 partly under tension, may be positioned inrear of the hammer bolt to prevent rearward movement of the latter,thereby sustaining the brake in released condition and enabling thevehicle to be backed in the customary manner.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection withthe drawings hereto annexed, the construction of the improved device issuch that the brake is normally set by the action of the spring 26 andthe intermediate means for transmitting power from the spring to thebrake bar. When the vehicle is to be moved, and draft is applied to theevener, the whiftletree moves forwardly, and the hammer bolt through itsconnections will expand the spring and release the brake shoes fromengagement with the wheels. lVhen the draft, or movement in a forwarddirection, of the evener ceases, the brakes will be automatically set bythe action of the spring. It will thus be impossible for the vehicle tocrowd the team in going down hill, and undue strain upon the team, aswell as dangerous accidents, will thus be avoided. rlhe rock shaft 40may be provided with an upwardly extending hand lever 50 whereby thebrake may be manually operated, either directly or through intermediateconnections of a conventional character.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is zl. A.running gear including a reach bar, a tongue, and a cross bar supportedon the reach bar, said tongue having longitudinal slots, a frameincluding a slotted guide bar supported on the tongue, a hammer boltextending through registering slots in the frame bar and the tongue, anevener connected with the hammer bolt and guided on the tongue beneaththe frame bar, a spring secured at one end on the tongue and having itsother end connected with the hammer bolt, a lever pivoted on the tonguein rear of the spring, a rod connecting the upwardly extendingrelatively long arm of said lever with the hammer bolt, a brake bar,links connected with the cross bar on the reach bar and supporting thebrake bar, and means for transmitting motion between the brake bar andthe downwardly extending relatively short arm of the lever pivoted onthe tongue, said means including cranks and connecting rods whereby arelatively limited movement on the part of the brake bar shall require arelatively extensive movement on the part of the evener.

2. In a device of the class described, a tongue having a longitudinalslot, a frame including a slotted guide bar having supporting legsmounted on the tongue, means for securing said frame in position, anevener guided between the tongue and the guide bar and having an eye, ahammer bolt engaging said eye and guided through regis- .tering slots inthe tongue and the guide bar,

a spring having one end secured on the tongue and the other endconnected with the hammer bolt to normally move the evener in a rearwarddirection, and a latch member pivoted on the frame land adapted to bepositioned in rear of the hammer bolt when the evener is moved forwardlyagainst the tension of the spring to prevent the evener being retractedby the spring.

In testimony whereof l atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROVVLAND H. MAXFIELD. 'Witnesses C. P. JOHNSON, J. C. TURNER.

Copies o this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. C.

